Monday, December 15, 2014

Change in Order to Preserve

There are a lot of crises facing the Orthodox Jewish
community these days. Among the most important
is Jewish education. It is a crisis of existential import.
Leaving aside the serious problem of financing it (itself an existential
problem) I don’t think it’s arguable that Judaism can be perpetuated without
it.

That has become abundantly clear to all Jewish denominations via the
success of the Orthodox educational paradigm that has increased our numbers versus the relative lack of it in other denominations - which has led to their decreasing numbers.

But what should a successful Jewish education look like? The
obvious answer is to examine what it has been in the past, and to continue that
model. Changes to it should be made with caution. Even if those changes are
seen as positive in the short term.

Until relatively recent times (say… 35 or 40 years ago) Jewish
education in just about all Orthodox American high schools were of the Lithuanian model. In their American incarnation the curricula consisted of two primary components: Gemara study in the morning and secular
studies in the afternoon. Even the most
right wing Yeshiva high schools like Telshe and ‘Philly” (Lakewood’s high school) had this program. Those who attended these schools studied the basics so that they could - if they
chose - go on to college and in some cases eventually become successful professionals.

Some of the most notable Charedi leaders (both lay and
religious) are college educated. For example - the executive Vice President of Agudah
has a law degree. And the head of the Agudah Moetzes has a college degree.
As did a previous head of the Agudah Moetzes, Rav Avrohom Pam, ZTL.

In the early years post Holocaust, Survivor Chasidim sent their children to those schools. Until they built their own.Those schools have minimal secular studies at best. Some (most?) have no secular
studies at all.

Enter Israel. There even the Lithuanian type schools have no secular studies. Not to mention the Chasidic schools. Lithuanian schools in America started
looking Eastward… and to the Chasidic model here and started to lessen their
secular studies in order to increase their religious studies. Now there are
many that offer no secular studies at all. And the
Charedi world sees them as the cream of Yeshivos - attracting the best and
brightest

What we have now is a reversal of the very success the older
paradigm has given us. While there are still many Charedi professionals, I
suspect that nowadays very few are interested in doing that. Secular education is now denigrated – same as it is in the Chasidic schools and in the Lithuainian schools in Israel. It is seen as Bitul Torah at best. While it is
still true that there are many Charedim that eventually do get good jobs
despite their lack of a good secular education, there are probably a lot more
that don’t because of the lack of it.

We know the results of that in Israel. Dire poverty. It is
no secret that the Charedim of Israel are its poorest demographic. It is also true that Chasdic communities like Kiryas Joel and New Square are among the poorest cities in America. Shalom Bayis is often severely
affected by that. It is also no secret that poverty is a major cause of
family dysfunction. And that it increases the chances of children going OTD.

The current state of affairs is not good for the Jewish
people. I believe that there are many Charedi leaders who in their heart of
hearts know this. One of the more erudite Charedi spokesman alluded to it in
last week’s Mishpacha Magazine. Without
spelling out what kind of change he meant Jonathan Rosenblum called for change in the Charedi
community for existential reasons. He said that in order to preserve the gains
made by the Charedi world (the extraordinary growth of the Torah community is
undeniable – both here and in Israel) you can’t remain standing. He says that often
times it is necessary to change course just to preserve those gains.

His model for change is Sara Schenerir founder of the Beis
Yaakov movement. He adds that it is difficult for our generation to appreciate
the revolutionary nature of her movement. But in point of fact, one might
justifiably say that she is the person that has done more for the Jewish people
than anyone in the last 100 years. These are not my words. They are not even Jonathan’s
words. They are the words of the famed late Rosh HaYeshiva of the Chevron
Yeshiva, R’ Chatzkel Sarna, ZTL. True, she
convinced many of the Gedolim of her day. But there were many that were
opposed. It was a revolution.

Sometimes, it takes a revolution to save Yiddishkeit. Right
now that revolution ought to be one of going in reverse… back to a time where
secular studies were valued. And it ought to be taking place in Israel as well.
In my view the change that needs to take place is abandon the current Charedi
zeitgeist of disparaging secular studies. Although most non Chasidic Yeshiva
high schools still have secular studies programs, there is definitely a strong
trend away from it. Secular studies are being
characterized by some who even studied it themselves as Bitul Torah!

This mentality prevents any further secular education beyond
high schools (for those schools that still have it). How many Charedi
professionals in America today have children that will themselves become professionals?
I don’t know, but I’ll bet that the number is a lot closer to zero than it ever
was (unless they have gone OTD).

Which leads to Sam Sokol. He wrote an article about this
issue in the Jerusalem Post. It is about an ad taken out in a Charedi Magzaine
by (YAFFED). From the article:

YAFFED (Young Advocates for Fair Education) founder Naftuli
Moster is currently suing the state of New York for failing to implement the
same standards in ultra-Orthodox schools as in their secular counterparts…

That magazine’s editor call’s such moves ‘reformist’. He condemns
this organization and apologizes for carrying the ad saying that it was an
error in the advertising sales process.

Whether YAFFED is going about it the right way is a matter
of debate. Much the same as the debate about how the Israeli government is going
about it. I will admit that force causes push-back. And that can backfire –
making things worse. It would be much better if that change came by itself.

But what if it doesn’t? Should we just stand by and watch an
entire community disintegrate? Or should we force them to take this ‘life
saving medicine’ against their will? The ‘medicine’ of education that will change
their lives without changing their way of life. In my view, the answer is simple.
As much as I would prefer they do it themselves, if they don’t - the life of
the ‘patient’ is at stake. And it must be saved.

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About Me

My outlook on Judaism is based mostly on the teachings of my primary Rebbe, Rabbi Aaron Soloveichik from whom I received my rabbinic ordination. It is also based on a search for spiritual truth. Among the various sources that put me on the right path, two great philosophic works stand out: “Halakhic Man” and “Lonely Man of Faith” authored by the pre-eminent Jewish philosopher and theologian, Rabbi, Dr. Joseph B. Soloveitchik. Of great significance is Rabbi, Dr. Norman Lamm's conceptualization and models of Torah U’Mada and Dr. Eliezer Berkovits who introduced me to the world of philosophic thought. Among my early influences were two pioneers of American Elementary Torah Chinuch, Rabbis Shmuel Kaufman and Yaakov Levi. The Yeshivos I attended were Yeshivas Telshe for early high school and more significantly, the Hebrew Theological College where for a period of ten years, my Rebbeim included such great Rabbinic figures as Rabbis Mordechai Rogov, Shmaryahu Meltzer, Yaakov Perlow, Herzl Kaplan, and Selig Starr. I also attended Roosevelt University where I received my Bachelor's Degree - majoring in Psychology.